Device for the irradiation of milk with ultraviolet rays



H. A. TREBLER 2,001,555

DEVICE FOR THE IRRADIATI-ON OF MILK WITH ULTRAVIOLET RAYS May 14, 1935.

Filed March 15, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY INVENTOR H. A. TREBLER 2,001,555

DEVICE FOR THE IRRADIATION 0F MILK WITH ULTRAVIOLET RAYS May 14, 1935.

Filed March 15, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR a? Q &

ATTORNEY Patented May 14, 1935 i UNITED STATES PATENT oFFic DEVICE FOR THE IRRADIATION F MILK WI'I H ULTRAVIOLET RAYS Kenning A. Trebler, Baltimore, Md., assignor to Hanovia Chemical and Manufacturing Comgany, Newark, N. 1., a corporation of New ersey Application March 15, 1934, Serial No. 715,577 9 Claims. (Cl. 99-2) This invention relates to devices for irradiating of are determined by the desired thickness of milk and other fluids with ultraviolet or electrothe liquid film and the rate of flow and the degree magnetic rays, and more particularly to a device of activation desired, so as to obtain essentially for causing the milk or other fluids to flow over the same degree of activation from each unit. 'a. surface in a smooth, uniform, bubble-free Referring to the drawings, the device is shown 5 layer.' a to include an inclined flat. sheet 5, preferably Iii-treating fluids with ultraviolet rays, it has made of metal, over which milk or other fluid heretofore been the practice to cause the. fluid flows in a thin film. The side edges of the sheet being treated to flow in a more or less irregular 5 are provided with flanges 6, and the lower 4 10 or agitated film in the path of. the ultraviolet edge of the sheet is curved upwardly to form a 10 rays. For the best results, I have found it adsmall semicylindrical trough, 1 to receive the vantageous that the layer orfllm of fluid have fluid after it has passed over the sheet 5. Conno bubbles, foam, or foreign matter therein while nectedtothe trough l is a pipe 8 through which being subjected to the ultraviolet rays and that the fluid can be drained off.

the thickness of the film and the rate of flow The upper edge of the sheet 5 is also provided 15 be maintained as nearly constant as possible. with a semicylindrical trough 9 into which milk or The presence of bubbles, foam or foreign matter other fluid is introduced by a pipe l0. may interfere with the production of the ac- The trough 9 is provided witha cover l|,'havin tivated products resulting I from ultraviolet ira flange l2 engaging one edge of the trough, see radiation and may impart an undesirableflavor Fig. 4, the cover being further supported by pins 20 to the milk. l5, projecting from thegflanges 6. The cover 1 l It is therefore an object of this invention, to is also provided with a downwardly extending provide 'a trough from which the fluid is caused curved flange [4 having a knife edge I5 projecting to flow over an inclinedor vertical surface, said into the trough. trough being provided with means to break up In operation, milk or other fluid is introduced 25 the bubbles and to hold back foam or foreign into the trough 9, and passes between the bottom matter before they reach the vertical or inclined of the trough 9 and the flange It to the sheet 5. plane or smooth curved surface. I During the passage of the milk, the knife edge l5 A further advantage of my construction is that breaks'up the bubbles and holds back any foam 0 no small orifices as commonly employed in disor foreign matter that may be present. as the tributingdevices for spreading films over surmilk passes over the sheet 5, it is irradiatedby faces, are embodied in the apparatus. Consean ultraviolet producing device l6,shownindotted quently the danger of clogging is avoided, and an lines in Fig. 3. even film thickness and an even rate of flow may It is seen that the cover II can be readily be much more constantly maintained than would removed in order to clean the trough 9; and the 35 otherwise be the case. z junction of the sheet 5 and the trough 9 is also These and other advantageous objects, which provided with a relatively sharp edge to further will later appear, are accomplished by the simple disrupt bubbles, foam, and foreign matter so that and practical construction and arrangement of the milk will flow freely overthe sheet 5 in a 40 parts hereinafter described and exhibited in the smooth fllm. 40

accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, The flange portion ll of the cover ll, shown and in' which: arcuately curved in the drawings, may, if desired,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my device, be directed straight downwardly. Fig. 2 is a perspective view in section showing Ihave found it advantageous to group anumber I details of the device, I of units, such as described above, about an ultra- 45 details of the device, and 7 Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the man violet generator, suitable arrangements being ilner in which the device is used in combination lustrated in Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8. In this arrangewith an ultraviolet ray producing machine, ment, the length of sheets 5 and their slope are Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing further determined by the desired thickness of the liquid dim and the rate of flow and the degree of activa- 50 Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 are sectional elevations of tion-desired, and in such a way thatessentially modified forms of my device in which a number the same degree of activation is obtained in each of units orsheets are shown suitably grouped unit.

' l about 'anultraviolet generator, and in which the The 'milk is conducted through the pipes l8,

length of the units or sheets and the slope therethrough the troughs 9, over the sheets 5 and is drained off through the pipes 20 as clearly indicated by the arrows.

13y activation is meant the production of vitamin in the liquid. The degree of activation is commonly expressed in the number of rat units of vitamin contained therein per unit of volume or weight of the liquid.

The penetration of ultraviolet into many liquids, such as milk, is very slight. It is therefore important to the efliciency of the process that the liquid be exposed to the radiations'in very thin films. The reaction with the use of very intense ultraviolet sources is of very short duration, a few seconds or less. Hence, the distance down which the film of liquid'must travel may berelatively short, only a few inches.

My invention which provides a very thin, bubble-free, smooth flowing liquid fllm provides an eflicient means for the attainment of activation without interference by gas bubbles, foam and foreign particles and without the production of undesirable flavors due to their presence. A multiplicity of my units mounted about the light source provide an aggregate which can handle a" The foregoing disclosure is to be regarded as descriptive and illustrative only, and not as restrictive or limitative of the invention, of which obviously an embodiment may be constructed including many modifications without departing from the general scope herein indicated and denoted in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In an apparatus for the irradiation of flowing liquid films, one or more inclined or vertical surfaces over which said liquid flows, a trough connected to the upper edge of each of said surfaces, a knife edge at the junction between said trough and said surface, one or more bailles in said trough to disperse air or gas bubbles, and to hold back foam and suspended particles in the liquid before said liquid flows over the irradiation surfaces. Y I

2. In a device forthe irradiation of milk or other fluids, a planesurface over which said milk flows during exposure to vitamin producing and bacteria killing radiations, integral flanges at the side edges of said plane surface, a trough attached to the upper edge of said plane surface, a cover for said trough, said cover having an arcuate flange depending into the upper portion of the liquid in the trough adjacent the point where the milk begins to flow over the plane surface.

3. In a device for the irradiation of milk and other fluids, a curved smooth surface over which said milk flows during exposure to vitamin pro-. ducing and bacteria killing radiations, integral flanges at the'side edges of said surface, a trough attached to the upper edge of said surface, a

fluid before it cover for said trough, said cover having an arcuate flange depending into'the upper portion of the liquid in the trough adjacent the point where the milk begins to flow over the surface.

4. In a device for the irradiation of milk or other fluids,an inclined or vertical surfaceover which the milk flows during the irradiating process, a trough connected to the upper edge of said surface, means for introducing milk or other fluids to said trough, and a cover for the trough,

said cover having a flange provided with means depending into the trough adjacent the upper edge of said surface to hold back or break up bubbles and to hold back foreign matter in the milk 'or other fluid before it commences to flow over said surface.

5. In a device for the irradiation of milk or other fluids, a sheet over which said milk flows during the irradiating process, a trough integral with the'upper edge of said sheet, a cover for the trough, and an arcuate flange integral with the cover and projecting into said trough, said flange having integral therewith means adjacent the upper edge of the sheet to break up bubbles and to hold back foreign matter in the milk before it commences to flow over the sheet.

6. In a device for the irradiation of milk or other fluids, a flat sheet over which said milk flows during the irradiating process, integral flanges at the side edges of said flat sheet, the lower end of the sheet being upturned to provide a trough, the upper edge of the sheet being bent to provide a semi-cylindrical trough to receive milk, a cover for said upper trough, said cover having an arcuate flange with a knife edge depending into the upper trough adjacent the point where the milk begins to flow over the sheet, means for conducting milk to the upper trough, and means for draining milk from the lower trough.

7. In a device for the irradiation of milk or other fluids, a flat sheet over which said milk flows during the irradiating process, a semi-cyof said sheet, a cover for the trough, and anarcuate flange integral with the cover and projecting into said trough, said flange having integral therewith a knife edge adjacent the upper edge of the sheet to break up bubbles and to hold back foreign matter in themilk before it commences to flowover the sheet.

'8. In a device for the irradiation of milk or other fluids, a flat inclined surface over which said milk flows, a trough connected to the upper edge of said surface, and a member having a knife edge projecting into said trough'adjacent the upper edge of the surface to break up bubbles and to hold back foreign matter in the milk before the milk commences to flow over the flat surface.

9. In a device for the irradiation of milk or other fluids, a flat inclined surface over which the milk flows during the irradiating process, a trough connected to the upper edge of said surface, means for introducing milk or other fluids to said trough, and a cover for the trough, said cover having a flange provided with a knife edge depending into the trough adjacent the upper. edge of said surface to break up bubbles and to hold back foreign matter in said milk or other commences to flow over said' surface. I

HENNING A. 'I'REBLER. 

